“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

The holidays are fast approaching, with all that this joyful season brings: carols and eggnog, parties and mistletoe, glitter and tinsel and twinkly lights, hearth and home and friends and family. And GIVING. As we think about the good gifts we hope to give this holiday season, we are reminded to give of our time, our resources, our abilities. Not just this month, but every month. It can make such a difference in someone's life.

Here are some people who are making a difference . . .

The holidays are fast approaching, and with them, wintry weather. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures can really take a toll on a home, causing expensive damages and high utility bills. Winterizing your home can help prevent unexpected surprises, such as busted pipes, and will help with energy costs. A few simple tips to winterizing your home can help make sure that your holiday feasts with friends and family are warm and cozy.

Here are some tips to help you weather this winter well . . .

Autumn is heralded by the exhilaration of falling temperatures and the dazzling hues of falling leaves. The air is cool and the colors are warm. October glories in the grandeur of oranges, yellows, and reds. Nature puts on a theatrical extravaganza, and we have the privilege of watching the show every single day. This is an incredible time to grab a sweater and enjoy the majesty of the outdoors. Visit a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard and revel in the bounty of the season. Take a hike and bask in the beauty of the changing colors. Or simply go outside and savor the splendor that’s right there in your front yard. Find a nice seat and enjoy the fresh, invigorating breeze, or get busy working on your garden and your lawn.

The production of plastic has grown 8 percent a year for decades, much more than any other manufactured material, because plastic is just so useful. We use it for packaging (43%) and construction (20%); we have plastic in our clothes, our cars, our computers.

Plastic really is everywhere.

“Roland Geyer, an industrial ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, says no one had tallied how much plastic people have manufactured since its invention. When he did it, he was shocked at what he found. 'Eight point three billion metric tons of plastics produced so far. That's just really a staggering amount.' He did some calculations to understand that number. 'And it turned out that it can cover an area the size of Argentina,' he says, 'which is the eighth-largest country in the world.'

Swimming pools and beach vacations, waterskiing at the lake and rafting on the river, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, boating, wake boarding, tubing, jet skiing, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, and swimming - when it's summertime and the mercury is on the rise, there is nowhere we'd rather be than in the water! North America’s lakes, rivers, and seas are oases of beauty and respite from the summer sun, so it’s no surprise that swimming is summer’s number one pastime. But as you enjoy the season's final days, please make water safety your first priority. Swimming cools us off and keeps us fit, and it's one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a hot August day. But we cannot forget that it can also be dangerous. Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death among children aged 1-4, and it's the number two cause of unintentional death among those aged 5-24. A moment of distraction can be fatal, so please take great care to keep yourself and your loved ones safe in the water.

How to Beat the Heat

Hopefully, you’ve all had a chance to cool off at the pool, beach, lake, or river this summer. But this July is shaping up to be seriously hot —we're talking about dangerously, oppressively, swelteringly hot— and we’re all looking for some sweet relief to beat the heat.

It is just as important to conserve water OUTSIDE your home as it is INSIDE your home. Lush green lawns, bright colorful flower gardens, bountiful vegetable harvests —these add beauty and enjoyment to your home. But grass and flowers and vegetables require water, and they can sometimes consume massive amounts of this precious natural resource. So how can you water wisely? How can you conserve water in your yard?

Did you know that May 6-12, is Drinking Water Week? A week to celebrate WATER!May 6 kicks off this year’s Drinking Water Week with an invitation to “Protect the Source." "The American Water Works Association and the water community across North America will celebrate Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role drinking water plays in our daily lives, and how we can take personal responsibility in caring for our tap water and protecting it at its source. “When we get to know our local drinking water sources, we come to understand that it is our duty as consumers and community stewards to protect and preserve them,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “Drinking Water Week provides a great opportunity to learn the various ways in which we can each protect our source water so it’s available for future generations.” AWWA

Valuing and protecting our natural resources is more than just a nice idea; it’s a global necessity. And one crucial way of ensuring a future in which every child has clean water to drink is by teaching those children to conserve and care for our resources— right now. The folks at Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) are committed to doing exactly that. They “envision a world in which action-oriented education enables every child to understand and value water, ensuring a sustainable future.” Project WET is working hard to “develop and deliver the world's best water education resources, organize special water events, manage a worldwide network of local implementing partners and advocate for the role of water education in solving the world's most pressing water issues.” Project WET

Mark your calendars, folks: March 19-25 is the EPA's tenth annual Fix a Leak Week. Household leaks can waste more than 1 TRILLION gallons of water each year. Yes, 1 TRILLION—That's a one with 12 zeros behind it (1,000,000,000,000). Those drippy faucets and leaking toilets are more than an annoyance; they cost you lots of money, and they waste LOTS of water. So, this March, hunt down those drips! Chase those leaks!

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